Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
A world leader in marine biological research with focus on coral reef science and shark conservation, The Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Oceanographic Center has been at the forefront of graduate and undergraduate marine science education and oceanographic research for over 49 years. Students, scientists, faculty and staff come to the Center from all corners of the globe, with the common goal of learning from the ocean's living classrooms - in one of the most diverse ecosystems known to man.
The Oceanographic Center serves as a national, regional, and community resource for information. There are several institutes, the National Coral Reef Institute for research and training on coral reef assessment, monitoring, and restoration; the Guy Harvey Research Institute for fish research and conservation, and the Save Our Seas Shark Center specializing in shark studies. The Center also implements the Broward County Sea Turtle Renesting Program. The Center's facilities include a research library for the many disciplines of marine science, conference room, classrooms, staging area, electron microscopy laboratory, darkroom, machine shop, physical oceanography laboratory, computer center, wetlab/classroom coral workshop, filtered seawater facility and research laboratories.
Submissions from 2008
Giant Deep-Sea Protist Produces Bilaterian-like Traces, Mikhail V. Matz, Tamara M. Frank, N. Justin Marshall, Edith A. Widder, and Sonke Johnsen
Diverse Bacterial PKS Sequences Derived from Okadaic Acid-Producing Dinoflagellates, Roberto Perez, Li Liu, Jose V. Lopez, Tianying An, and Kathleen S. Rein
Predictability of Reef Fish Diversity and Abundance Using Remote Sensing Data in Diego Garcia (Chagos Archipelago), Samuel J. Purkis, N. A. J. Graham, and Bernhard Riegl
The Role of Topography in Promoting Fractal Patchiness in a Carbonate Shelf Landscape, Samuel J. Purkis and Kevin E. Kohler
A Revision of the Comatulid Genus Stephanometra AH Clark With a Rediagnosis of the Genus Lamprometra AH Clark (Echinodermata: Crinoidea), Dana L. Rankin and Charles G. Messing
A Tale of Germs, Storms, and Bombs: Geomorphology and Coral Assemblage Structure at Vieques (Puerto Rico) Compared to St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands), Bernhard Riegl, Ryan P. Moyer, Brian K. Walker, Kevin E. Kohler, David S. Gilliam, and Richard E. Dodge
The 2005 Coral-Bleaching Event Roatan (Honduras): Use of Pseudoinvariant Features (PIFs) in Satellite Assessments, Gwilym Rowlands, Samuel J. Purkis, and Bernhard Riegl
Scleractinian Coral Recruitment to Reefs Physically Damaged by Ship Groundings, E. T. Rubin, Alison L. Moulding, Jose V. Lopez, David S. Gilliam, V. N. Kosmynin, and Richard E. Dodge
Vertical Structure, Biomass and Topographic Association of Deep-Pelagic Fishes in Relation to a Mid-Ocean Ridge System, Tracey Sutton, F. M. Porteiro, M. Heino, I. Byrkjedal, G. Langhelle, C. I. H. Anderson, J. Horne, H. Soiland, Tone Falkenhaug, O. R. Godo, and Odd Aksel Bergstad
Mapping Coral Reef Habitats in Southeast Florida Using a Combined Technique Approach, Brian K. Walker, Bernhard Riegl, and Richard E. Dodge
Submissions from 2007
Geomorphology of the Southeast Florida Continental Reef Tract (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, USA), Kenneth Banks, Bernhard Riegl, E. A. Shinn, Werner Pillar, and Richard E. Dodge
Stalked Crinoid Locomotion, and its Ecological and Evolutionary Implications, Tomasz K. Baumiller and Charles G. Messing
Seasonal Occurrence of Atlantic Cutlassfish, Trichiurus lepturus, in Southeastern Florida with Notes on Reproduction and Stomach Contents, David R. Bryan and Shaun M. Gill
Deep-Diving and Diel Changes in Vertical Habitat Use by Caribbean Reef Sharks Carcharhinus perezi, Demian D. Chapman, Ellen K. Pikitch, Elizabeth A. Babcock, and Mahmood S. Shivji
Virgin Birth in a Hammerhead Shark, Demian D. Chapman, Mahmood S. Shivji, Ed Louis, Julie Sommer, Hugh Fletcher, and Paulo A. Prodohl
Vision in the Hyperiid Amphipod Scina crassicornis, Jonathan H. Cohen and Tamara M. Frank
Preliminary Observations on the Reproductive Cycle and Uterine Fecundity of the Yellow Stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis (Elasmobranchii: Mylioba tiformes: Urolophidae) in Southeast Florida, U.S.A., Daniel P. Fahy, Richard E. Spieler, and William C. Hamlett
Polymorphic Microsatellite Markers for Studies of the Conservation and Reproductive Genetics of Imperilled Sand Tiger Sharks (Carcharias taurus), Kevin A. Feldheim, Adam J. Stow, Heidi Ahonen, Demian D. Chapman, Mahmood S. Shivji, Vic Peddemors, and Sabine Wintner
Diversity and Biogeography of the Scleractinian Coral Fauna of Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Peter W. Glynn, Gerard M. Wellington, Bernhard Riegl, Donald B. Olson, Eric Borneman, and Evie A. Wieters
Mercury Transport and Bioaccumulation in Riverbank Communities of the Alvarado Lagoon System, Veracruz State, Mexico, Jane L. Guentzel, Enrique Portilla, Katherine M. Keith, and Edward O. Keith
Habitat Utilization and Vertical Movements of White Marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) Released from Commercial and Recreational Fishing Gears in the Western North Atlantic Ocean: Inferences from Short Duration Pop-up Archival Satellite Tags, Andrij Horodysky, David W. Kerstetter, Robert J. Latour, and John E. Graves
A Quantitative Ecological Assessment of Diving Sites in the Egyptian Red Sea During a Period of Severe Anchor Damage: A Baseline for Restoration and Sustainable Tourism Management, S. C. Jameson, M. S. A. Ammar, E. Saadalla, H. M. Mostafa, and Bernhard Riegl
Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotopic Signatures of Subsurface Nitrate Seaward of the Florida Keys Reef Tract, James J. Leichter, Adina Paytan, Scott Wankel, Katharine Hanson, Steven Miller, and Mark A. Altabet
First Observations on the Re-Established Southeast Florida Recreational Swordfish Tournament Fishery, Juan C. Levesquee and David W. Kerstetter
The Risk of Polyspermy in Three Congeneric Sea Urchins and its Implications for Gametic Incompatibility and Reproductive Isolation, Don R. Levitan, Casey P. terHorst, and Nicole D. Fogarty
Caudal Spine Shedding Periodicity and Site Fidelity of Round Stingrays, Urobatis halleri (Cooper), at Seal Beach, California: Implications for Stingray-related Injury Management, Christopher G. Lowe, Greg J. Moss, Greg Hoisington IV, Jeremy Vaudo, Daniel P. Cartamil, Megan M. Marcotte, and Yannis P. Papastamatiou
Genetic Tracking of Basking Shark Products in International Trade, Jennifer E. Magnussen, Ellen K. Pikitch, S. C. Clarke, C. Nicholson, A. Rus Hoelzel, and Mahmood S. Shivji
The Crinoid Fauna (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) of Palau, Charles G. Messing
In Situ Growth Rates in Tropical Western Atlantic Sea Lilies (Echinodermata: Crinoidea), Charles G. Messing, Jérôme David, Michel Roux, Nadia Améziane, and Tomasz K. Baumiller
Employing Spatial Metrics in Urban Land-Use / Land-Cover Mapping: Comparing the Getis and Geary Indices, Soe W. Myint, Elizabeth A. Wentz, and Samuel J. Purkis
The Response of Gastric pH and Motility to Fasting and Feeding in Free Swimming Blacktip Reef Sharks, Carcharhinus melanopterus, Yannis P. Papastamatiou, Samuel J. Purkis, and Kim N. Holland
Modelling Survival and Growth of Mithraculus forceps' Larvae and Juveniles (A. Milne Edwards, 1875) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Majidae) in Aquaculture, Gil Penha-Lopes, Joana Figueiredo, and Luis Narciso
The Statistics of Natural Shapes in Modern Coral Reef Landscapes, Samuel J. Purkis, Kevin E. Kohler, Bernhard Riegl, and Steven O. Rohmann
Genetic Connectivity in the Florida Reef System: Comparative Phylogeography of Commensal Invertebrates With Contrasting Reproductive Strategies, Vincent P. Richards, James Darwin Thomas, Michael J. Stanhope, and Mahmood S. Shivji
Sedimentary Facies of the Eastern Pacific's Northernmost Reef-Like Setting (Cabo Pulmo, Mexico), Bernhard Riegl, J. Halfar, Samuel J. Purkis, and L. Godinez-Orta
Coupled Renewal Model of Ocean Viscous Sublayer, Thermal Skin Effect and Interfacial Gas Transfer Velocity, Alexander Soloviev
An Approach to Estimation of Near-Surface Turbulence and CO2 Transfer Velocity from Remote Sensing Data, Alexander Soloviev, Mark A. Donelan, Hans Graber, Brian K. Haus, and Peter Schluessel
Diversity and Specificity of Caribbean Sponge–Zoanthid Symbioses: A Foundation for Understanding the Adaptive Significance of Symbioses and Generating Hypotheses About Higher‐Order Systematics, Timothy D. Swain and Janie L. Wulff
New Species and Host Associations of Commensal Leucothoid Amphipods from Coral Reefs in Florida and Belize (Crustacea:Amphipoda), James Darwin Thomas and Kristine N. Klebba
Cellular Reactions to Sedimentation and Temperature Stress in the Caribbean Coral Montastraea cavernosa, Bernardo Vargas-Ángel, Esther C. Peters, Esti Kramarsky-Winter, David S. Gilliam, and Richard E. Dodge
Submissions from 2006
Possible Causes, Consequences of Changes and Future of Coral Reefs in Dahab, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea Egypt, Mohamed S. A. Ammar, Jessica Bouwmeester, Bernhard Riegl, Jacques Hausser, and Alexander Keck
Species Assemblages of Enterococcus Indicate Potential Sources of Fecal Bacteria at a South Florida Recreational Beach, Tonya Davidian Bonilla, Kara L. Nowosielski, Nwadiuto Esiobu, Donald S. McCorquodale Jr., and Andrew Rogerson
Identification of Shark Species Composition and Proportion in the Hong Kong Shark Fin Market Based on Molecular Genetics and Trade Records, Shelley C. Clarke, Jennifer E. Magnussen, Debra Abercrombie, Murdoch K. McAllister, and Mahmood S. Shivji
Visual Physiology of the Antarctic Amphipod Abyssorchomene plebs, Jonathan H. Cohen and Tamara M. Frank
Revision of the Pentacrinid Stalked Crinoids of the Genus Endoxocrinus (Echinodermata, Crinoidea), with a Study of Environmental Control of Characters and Its Consequences for Taxonomy, Jérôme David, Michel Roux, Charles G. Messing, and Nadia Améziane
Distribution and Abundance of Micronekton and Macrozooplankton in the NW Weddell Sea: Relation to a Spring Ice-Edge Bloom, Joseph Donnelly, Tracey Sutton, and Joseph J. Torres
Productivity Improvement of Lysmata seticaudata (Risso, 1816) Larval Rearing Protocol Through Modelling, Joana Figueiredo and L. Narciso
Habitat of Juvenile Caribbean Reef Sharks, Carcharhinus perezi, at Two Oceanic Insular Marine Protected Areas in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean: Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Atol das Rocas, Brazil, Ricardo C. Garla, Demian D. Chapman, Mahmood S. Shivji, Bradley M. Wetherbee, and A. F. Amorim
Movement Patterns of Young Caribbean Reef Sharks, Carcharhinus perezi, at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil: the Potential of Marine Protected Areas for Conservation of a Nursery Ground, Ricardo C. Garla, Demian D. Chapman, Bradley M. Wetherbee, and Mahmood S. Shivji
Oceanography, Sedimentology and Acoustic Mapping of a Bryomol Carbonate Factory in the Northern Gulf of California, Mexico, J. Halfar, M. Strasser, Bernhard Riegl, and Lucio Godinez-Orta
Documenting Decadal Spatial Changes in Seagrass and Acropora palmata Cover by Aerial Photography Analysis in Vieques, Puerto Rico: 1937-2000, Luz Raquel Hernandez-Cruz, Samuel J. Purkis, and Bernhard Riegl
Sedimentology and Acoustic Mapping of Modern Rhodolith Facies on a Non-Tropical Carbonate Shelf (Gulf of California, Mexico), Steffen Hetzinger, Jochen Halfar, Bernhard Riegl, and Lucio Godinez-Orta
Effects of Circle Versus J-style Hooks on Target and Non-Target Species in a Pelagic Longline Fishery, David W. Kerstetter and John E. Graves
Survival of White Marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) Released from Commercial Pelagic Longline Gear in the Western North Atlantic, David W. Kerstetter and John E. Graves
A Modern Soft-Bottom, Shallow Water Crinoid Fauna (Echinodermata) from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Charles G. Messing, D. L. Meyer, U. E. Siebeck, L. S. Jermiin, D. I. Vaney, and G. W. Rouse
Metabolites from the Marine-Derived Fungus Chromocleista sp. Isolated from a Deep-Water Sediment Sample Collected in the Gulf of Mexico, Young Chul Park, Sarath P. Gunasekera, Jose V. Lopez, Peter J. McCarthy, and Amy E. Wright
Can Larvae Produced From Stored Sperm in the Ornamental Crab Mithraculus forceps (A. Milne Edwards, 1875) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Majidae) Be Used in Aquaculture?, Gil Penha-Lopes, Andrew L. Rhyne, Joana Figueiredo, Junda Lin, and Luis Narciso
White Vesicles in the Skin of Aplysia californica Cooper: A Proposed Excretory Function, Jeffrey S. Prince, Matthew J. Lynn, and Patricia Blackwelder
Enhanced Detection of the Coral Acropora cervicornis from Satellite Imagery Using a Textual Operator, Samuel J. Purkis, Soe W. Myint, and Bernhard Riegl
Form, Function and Feedbacks in a Tidally Dominated Ooid Shoal, Bahamas, Eugene C. Rankey, Bernhard Riegl, and Kelley Steffen
Validity, Identification, and Distribution of the Roundscale Spearfish, Tetrapturus georgii (Teleostei: Istiophoridae): Morphological and Molecular Evidence, Mahmood S. Shivji, Jennifer E. Magnussen, Lawrence R. Beerkircher, George Hinteregger, Dennis W. Lee, Joseph E. Serafy, and Eric D. Prince
Diet of Pacific Sleeper Shark, a Potential Steller Sea Lion Predator, in the North-East Pacific Ocean, M. F. Sigler, L. B. Hulbert, C. R. Lunsford, N. H. Thompson, K. Burek, G. O'Corry-Crowe, and Amy Hirons
Studies of Commensal Leucothoid Amphipods: Two New Sponge-Inhabiting Species from South Florida and the Western Caribbean, James Darwin Thomas and Kristine N. Klebba
The Reproductive Seasonality and Gametogenic Cycle of Acropora cervicornis off Broward County, Florida, USA, Bernardo Vargas-Ángel, Susan B. Colley, S. Michael Hoke, and James Darwin Thomas
Movement Patterns of the Round Stingray Urobatis halleri (Cooper) Near a Thermal Outfall, Jeremy Vaudo and Christopher G. Lowe
Pelagic Conditions Affect Larval Behavior, Survival, and Settlement Patterns in the Caribbean Coral Montastraea faveolata, M. J. A. Vermeij, Nicole D. Fogarty, and M. W. Miller
Submissions from 2005
Global-Scale Genetic Identification of Hammerhead Sharks: Application to Assessment of the International Fin Trade and Law Enforcement, Debra Abercrombie, Shelley C. Clarke, and Mahmood S. Shivji
Holocene Paleohydrology of Little Salt Spring, Florida, Based on Ostracod Assemblages and Stable Isotopes, Carlos A. Alvarez Zarikian, Peter Koenraad Swart, John A. Gifford, and Patricia Blackwelder
Effects of Temperature, Density, and Diet on Development, Survival, Settlement Synchronism, and Fatty Acid Profile of the Ornamental Shrimp Lysmata seticaudata, R. Calado, Joana Figueiredo, R. Rosa, M. L. Nunes, and L. Narciso
Impacts of Lost Fishing Gear on Coral Reef Sessile Invertebrates in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Mark Chiappone, Helga Dienes, Dione W. Swanson, and Steven Miller
Living on the Edge: High-Latitude Porites Carbonate Production Under Temperate Eutrophic Conditions, J. Halfar, L. Godinez-Orta, Bernhard Riegl, J. E. Valdez-Holguin, and J. M. Borges
Letters to the Editor - Myths About Evolution, J. Matthew Hoch
Reef Fish Assemblage Structure Affected by Small-Scale Spacing and Size Variations of Artificial Patch Reefs, Lance K. B. Jordan, David S. Gilliam, and Richard E. Spieler
Reduced Horizontal Sea Surface Temperature Gradients Under Conditions of Clear Skies and Weak Winds, Kristina B. Katsaros, Alexander Soloviev, Robert H. Weisberg, and Mark E. Luther
Unexpectedly High Cover of Acropora cervicornis on Offshore Reefs in Roatan (Honduras), Jennifer R. Keck, R. S. Houston, Samuel J. Purkis, and Bernhard Riegl
Coral Recruitment Patterns in the Florida Keys, Alison L. Moulding
Assessing the Accuracy of Acoustic Seabed Classification for Mapping Coral Reef Environments in South Florida (Broward County, USA), Ryan P. Moyer, Bernhard Riegl, Kenneth Banks, and Richard E. Dodge
Correlation Between Photosensitivity and Downwelling Irradiance in Mesopelagic Crustaceans, Trevor J. Myslinski, Tamara M. Frank, and Edith A. Widder
Habitat Use and Demographic Population Structure of Elasmobranchs at a Caribbean Atoll (Glover's Reef, Belize), Ellen K. Pikitch, Demian D. Chapman, Elizabeth A. Babcock, and Mahmood S. Shivji
Fluorescence Census Techniques for Coral Recruits, Gregory A. Piniak, Nicole D. Fogarty, Christine M. Addison, and W. Judson Kenworthy
Reassessing U.S. Coral Reefs, William F. Precht, Steven Miller, Richard B. Aronson, John F. Bruno, and Les S. Kaufman
A "Reef-Up" Approach to Classifying Coral Habitats from IKONOS Imagery, Samuel J. Purkis
Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Arabian Gulf Coral Assemblages Quantified from Remote-Sensing and in situ Monitoring Data, Samuel J. Purkis and Bernhard Riegl
Remote Sensing of Geomorphology and Facies Patterns on a Modern Carbonate Ramp (Arabian Gulf, Dubai, U.A.E.), Samuel J. Purkis, Bernhard Riegl, and Serge Andrefouet
Effects of Nutrient Enrichment and Elevated CO2 Partial Pressure on Growth Rate of Atlantic Scleractinian Coral Acropora cervicornis, Dorothy-Ellen A. Renegar and Bernhard Riegl
Distribution and Seasonal Biomass of Drift Macroalgae in the Indian River Lagoon (Florida, USA) Estimated with Acoustic Seafloor Classification (QTCView, Echoplus), Bernhard Riegl, Ryan P. Moyer, Lori J. Morris, Robert W. Virnstein, and Samuel J. Purkis
Detection of Shallow Subtidal Corals from IKONOS Satellite and QTC View (50,200 kHz) Single-Beam Sonar Data (Arabian Gulf; Dubai, UAE), Bernhard Riegl and Samuel J. Purkis
The Isotopic Composition of Respired Carbon Dioxide in Scleractinian Corals: Implications for Cycling of Organic Carbon in Corals, Peter Koenraad Swart, Alina Szmant, James W. Porter, Richard E. Dodge, Jennifer I. Tougas, and John R. Southam
Environmental Correlates of Cetacean Mass Stranding Sites in Florida, Rebekah J. Walker, Edward O. Keith, Alexander E. Yankovsky, and Daniel K. Odell
Farfield Tracing of a Point Source Discharge Plume in the Coastal Ocean Using Sulfur Hexafluoride, Rik Wanninkhof, K. M. Sullivan, W. Paul Dammann, John Proni, Frederick Bloetscher, Alexander Soloviev, and Thomas P. Carsey
Molecular Evidence for Multiple Lineages in the Gorgonian Family Plexauridae (Anthozoa: Octocorallia), H. H. Wirshing, Charles G. Messing, C. J. Douady, J. K. Reed, M. J. Stanhope, and Mahmood S. Shivji
A Comparison of Diets and Water Agitation Methods for Larval Culture of the Edible Sea Urchin, Tripneustes ventricosus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), Ray Wolcott and Charles G. Messing
Submissions from 2004
Remote Sensing: A Key Tool for Interdisciplinary Assessment of Coral Reef Processes, Serge Andrefouet and Bernhard Riegl
Characterization of the Marine Fish Assemblage Associated with the Nearshore Hardbottom of Broward County, Florida, USA, Robert M. Baron, Lance K. B. Jordan, and Richard E. Spieler
Predominance of Genetic Monogamy by Females in a Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna tiburo: Implications for Shark Conservation, Demian D. Chapman, Paulo A. Prodohl, James Gelsleichter, Charles A. Manire, and Mahmood S. Shivji
Changes in Motoric, Exploratory, and Emotional Behaviours and Neuronal Acetylcholine Content and 5-HT Turnover in Histidine Decarboxylase-KO Mice, Ekrem Dere, Maria A. De Souza-Silva, Richard E. Spieler, J. S. Lin, H. Ohtsu, Helmut L. Haas, and Joseph P. Huston
Fishes of the Eastern Ross Sea, Antarctica, Joseph Donnelly, Joseph J. Torres, Tracey Sutton, and Christina Simoniello
The Application of Peptide Nucleic Acid Probes for Rapid Detection and Enumeration of Eubacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Recreational Beaches of S. Florida, Nwadiuto Esiobu, Renuka Mohammed, Andrea Echeverry, Melissa Green, Tonya Davidian Bonilla, Aaron Hartz, Donald S. McCorquodale Jr., and Andrew Rogerson
Taxonomists and the CBD, R. Geeta, Andre Levy, J. Matthew Hoch, Melissa Mark, Quentin D. Wheeler, Peter H. Raven, and Edward O. Wilson